


The Minimum Day

by theinspiredginger



Series: Tumblr Prompts [6]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Kid Leon, M/M, Single Parent Arthur
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-10
Updated: 2014-08-10
Packaged: 2018-02-12 13:50:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,127
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2112360
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theinspiredginger/pseuds/theinspiredginger
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tumblr Prompt: Merthur teacher/single parent au</p><p>Arthur picks up his son, Leon, from school late on a minimum day. Arthur arrives to find the second grade teacher 'Mr. Emreese' looking after Leon.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Minimum Day

**Author's Note:**

> it is 2am and im going to edit this when it is not 2 am

The slam of the car door was loud and the thud of the impact rattled the partially rolled down window as Arthur ran away from the haphazardly parked car. Arthur looked around the normal drop off and pick up area to find it abandoned. His jog slowed to a brisk walk as he checked his watch again, hoping that maybe the hands on the face had ticked backwards. He swore as the minute hand clicked closer to the top of the hour: two in the afternoon. Arthur couldn’t believe he’d let this slip! Leon’s field trip to the zoo was supposed to be this week which meant that the early dismissal would be next week. Or at least that’s what Arthur had written down on his schedule. He was obviously wrong because the school office called him during the middle of his meeting informing him school was out and there was no Extended Care, leaving Leon alone with the secretary for company. 

Arthur berated himself as he marched over to the front office. Just when he thought he was getting this single-parent thing down...

In the beginning when his sister, Morgana, first dropped two year old Leon off and dubbed Arthur the kid’s new dad, Arthur nearly had to quit work to gather his bearings. His large loft apartment became a cozy home with a kitchen that needed to be a little bigger and hardwood floors that would be better appreciated if they didn’t creak during naptime. The cashier at Shopper’s Corner was as surprised as Arthur when his basket held yogurt, apple juice, and crayons instead of protein powder and scotch. The first couple months Leon was never on time to daycare, he was signed up for daycare two weeks late, and Leon’s blonde curls being called bed head was putting it nicely. But soon, Arthur began to get it together. Arthur learned how to pack lunches as Leon learned to tie shoes. The fridge was decorated with macaroni castles on primary colored construction paper taped down with post it notes of when Leon had karate and swim class. His posh BMW had sticker residue on the back window and cheerio crumbs ingrained into the leather stitching. Arthur didn’t even look twice now that carseat in his rearview mirror or that the first three disks in the CD player were Disney movie soundtracks. The three years with Leon had passed by within the blink of an eye and now Leon was in kindergarten and learning about the planets and the solar system. Arthur bought cupcakes for the class when it was Leon’s birthday and he volunteered every couple of months in the cafeteria for parent hours. Leon never missed a practice for little dribblers and Arthur remembered when it was his turn to buy the team gatorade and snacks. He’d gotten the routine of being a single dad down. And yet here he was, peering through the window of the locked front office with no idea where his son could be. 

Arthur banged on the metal frame of the glass door, not knowing what he was expecting considering it was pitch dark inside. He could just feel the panic start to overcome him as he frantically looked around, when he saw a flash of golden hair out of the corner of his eye. Arthur squinted as he peered over towards the playground. Sure enough, Leon, clad in his red sweater Arthur had helped him pick out this morning was running around the slide. Arthur’s heart rate dropped once he set his eyes on Leon and he began to make his way over, apologies nearly spilling over his lips with every step. 

Leon’s high pitched squeal of laughter made Arthur smile as Leon couched down behind the bottom of the slide looking over at something out of Arthur’s sight. As Arthur got closer Arthur realized Leon was looking up inside the tube his shrieking laughter getting louder and louder. Soon a foot appeared and Leon snorted as he grabbed the foot and began to pull. Arthur could now here a lower pitched laugh echoing from the slide. Arthur’s eyebrows crinkled as he watched the scene play out, his steps growing slower. Leon continued to tug and pull and soon a man with a mop of black hair came tumbling out. Leon fell back, landing on his rump with the man’s shoe in his hands. 

“I got your shoooooe!” Leon cried as he scrambled up and ran underneath jungle gym.   
“Leon! Get back here, this instant!” The grown man’s voice yelled in mock fury. The man began to chase the small five year old around the playground, Leon waving the shoe around by the strings. Leon rounded the corner and nearly ran smack dab into Arthur. He skidded to a stop before recognizing him.

“Daddy!” Leon yelled a huge smile across his face. He sprinted and knocked into arthur’s legs, his arms wrapping around them and squeezing tight. 

“Hey, kiddo! I’m so sorry I’m late. How are you doin’?”  
“It’s okay, Dad! Mr. Emreese was playing tag with me! And he snuck me into the teacher’s lounge and we got snacks!” The Mr. Emreese in question approached the pair, and Arthur found himself bristling. He waited for the disapproving and judgemental look; he knew it well and over the years had learned to expect it and that made it a bit easier, but not any less irritating. The tall man, ran his fingers through his black hair in an attempt to get it out of his eyes, the blue cardigan pushed up to his elbows. He was smiling wide, his cheeks barely flushed pink from the exertion of running around after the five year old ball of energy. Arthur felt himself relax, his gaze scanning over the man in front of him. His tan dockers were wrinkled and of course he was missing a shoe, his bright purple sock covered in bark. Arthur found himself smirking and heard the ‘Mr. Emreese' chuckle a bit as he stuck out his hand.

“I’m Emrys, I’m the second grade teacher.” Arthur shook his hand, Emrys’ grip stronger than he was anticipating.   
“I hear you’re a snack thief and the monster of the playground.”  
“Well if we’re being honest, the teacher thing’s just my day job.” Emrys nodded suddenly looking very serious and it startled a laugh out of Arthur.   
“I’m Arthur by the way, his dad,” Arthur loving squeezed Leon’s shoulder and looked down at him as he said it. “And thanks for watching him. I can’t believe...I didn’t realize today was an early dismissal--”  
“--and Extended Care is closed too. Yeah, don’t worry about it. I forgot it was too. I could have sworn the kindergarten and second grade buddies were supposed to go to the zoo today but...”  
“I thought the same! Did they change the schedule?” Arthur asked. Emrys shrugged.  
“I mean apparently, but no one informed me. I was this close to commandeering SUVs and minivans when the bus didn’t show up. I planned the trip for today specifically because there’s not only the chance to feed the giraffes but there’s also a special exhibit all about their new albino alligator! The alligator will be returning to his home in Florida by next week and instead there’ll be a great hornbill, but for most kids, and adults honestly, you’ve seen one parrot you’ve seen ‘em all.”

Leon had handed Emrys his shoe back as he spoke. Emrys walked over to the swings, Arthur and Leon following. Emrys undid the laces as he continued to speak, “But I guess that’s that. Anyway, once all the kids were dismissed, I headed over to the front office to check the calendar in the teacher’s lounge and found Leon and a few other kids in there. Can you believe they shut down Extended Care on a minimum day? It just doesn’t make any sense! Working parents need extended care when the school day ends at 3pm let alone when the school’s calling it a day at 11:30 in the morning. Doesn’t make any sense. None. Anyway, after the office called their parents I took the kids to my classroom and we did some arts and crafts for a while, and then we...” Emrys continued to ramble on about all the events of their nearly three hour adventure. Leon climbed on to the swing beside Emrys and Arthur began to push him, Leon’s legs kicking but doing little to actually propel him forward. “When Gwaine got picked up, I felt confident sneaking into the staff kitchen. Gwaine, love the kid, but he can get a little devious and him knowing where they keep the fudgesicles would come back to haunt me I know it. Leon’s a great kid, I knew he could be trusted with that kind of intelligence.” Leon smiled, beaming with pride as he looked over his shoulder at Arthur for approval. 

“Leon’s definitely my favorite kid, but then of course I’m a little biased.” Arthur ruffled the blonde curls as he gave another gentle push on the swings. “I’m so sorry again Leon. I feel really bad that you were the last kid here.  
“It’s okay dad! I had lotsa fun with Emreese! You know what Dad, when you work late you should let me stay here so I can play with Emreese!” Arthur didn’t really know how to respond to that but thankfully he didn’t have to.  
“Well, Leon if you’re ever here and Extended is getting boring come find me okay? You know, sometimes there’s donuts in the teacher’s lounge...” Emrys said his eyebrows raised.   
“Buying their affection with food I see.” Arthur said, mumbling a ‘tsk tsk’.  
“I do not buy their affection. Leon and I just happen to share a love of junk food, junk food that is free specifically. And I was looking forward to just that but then the zoo trip was canceled.”   
“The zoo has free junk food?”  
“Well, no, not free. Insanely overpriced actually, but quality junk food nonetheless.”   
“When do you have to go back to work, Dad?” Leon asked, his feet dragging into the bark and dirt as he slowed himself down. Arthur quickly pulled the chains of the swing to bring him to a full stop.  
“I’m not going back to work today. I took the rest of the day off when I heard you had early dismissal! We have the rest of the day to hang out and the weekend too of course.”  
“Really?!” Leon said excitedly.   
“Yep!” Arthur said walking around and sitting down on the swing, Leon had vacated.  
“Can we go to the zoo, Dad? Can we?” Leon climbed onto Arthur’s lap, his legs hanging off the side facing Emrys.  
“Sure, I don’t see why not.” Leon hugged Arthur, his nose burying into Arthur’s crisp white collar and red tie.   
“And Mr. Emreese can come too! He’ll tell us all about the albino alligator and show us the giraffes! Can you come Mr. Emreese?” Emrys looked thrown off by the question, his mouth opening then closing. Arthur found himself terrified that he’d refuse the offer and that stunned him into silence for a second as Emrys wavered,  
“Oh, uh. I wouldn’t want to--”   
“You really want to give up the albino alligator, giraffes, and free junk food.” Arthur lifted his hands to represent a scale; what he was weighing he wasn’t sure.   
“I thought we went over this, Arthur. Not free.” Emrys smirked, laughing at him Arthur realized.  
“Fine, you can pay for your own caramel covered apple. Sheesh, you try to do something nice, Leon, and people just reject--”

“Oh shutup you idiot.” Emrys said as he pushed the tops of his knees to stand. “C’mon Leon, let’s teach your dad all the ins and outs of the zoo. That way he’ll know what he’s talking about when he chaperones the class field trip next week.” Leon yelled an excited affirmation as he bounded over to where Emrys’ slender hand was outstretched and held on tightly. 

“Hey, hey, I never signed up for that...” Even as he pretended to refuse it, Arthur knew what he’d be doing seven days from now. 

“Well, after today, how could someone with your qualifications deny children the gift of knowledge?” Arthur rolled his eyes as he caught up with the two, Leon threading his fingers through his father’s.   
“Yeah, Dad!”   
“Alright, alright. Count me in. I’ll chaperone the field trip. Happy?”  
The synchronized ‘yes’s made Arthur worry about the trouble he’d get into when the two of them ganged up on him in future. The thought flitted through his brain and with a fierce certainty Arthur realized he didn’t mind the prospect in the least.


End file.
